Paring head for apple paring machines



May 1, 1951 R. A. GANZE PARING HEAD FOR APPLE PARING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1948 May 1, 1951 R; A. GANZE 2,550,800

PARING HEAD FOR APPLE PARING MACHINES Filed May 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Zak/ Z001 6 m 8 May 1, 1951 GANZE 2,550,800

PARING HEAD FOR APPLE PARING MACHINES Filed May 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet a I imm l/llH/I HINIIUWW ll Ir INVENTOR. Zondlofl'aiz e 0mm 42% J Patented May 1, 1951 PARING HEAD FOR APPLE PARING MACHINES Application May 28, 1948, Serial No. 29,737

9 Claims l The present invention relates to a paring head or knife head for use in apple paring machines and similar machines. It has for its broad ob ject to provide a simple, efficient and durable head that will be automatically self adjusting in its cutting, so that a thinner peeling will be automatically cut from an apple of smaller diameter than from one of larger diameter. This results in less Waste than heretofore, and in a con de abl savin in. usable pu p- Apples can be graded according to size, if de: s r d. but this i VQIZG an ext a ope at on and extra exp nse. f hey ar n t aded. and. f they are delivered in random sizes to a paring machine of the kind heretofore customarily used in anapple processing. factory, the paring mac ine wi l u subs an ia l t same h ckn s o paring f om a mal a ple as o a a e anle; wh ch s w eful o t e pu f sma apples because in actual practice it is found that,

with certain varieties of apples, it is sniiieient 0 k SQmQWhat h ne 6 l' pa in H 1 smaller ap les than is required from larger an: pies The present invention aims to adjust the thickness of peel automatically to the size of the apple, taking a thinner peel from a smaller appleand a thicker peel from a larger apple.

Another object of the invention is to accomplish the above purposes while additionally supplying the further function of rendering the throat of the paring head self clearing as to clogs that have always been a problem in paring machines.

a further object is to simplify the assembly and disassembly of the paring head or knife arm.

These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of an apple paring machine of a conventional type, to which has been applied a paring head unit constructed in acill working upon an apple of relatively large diameter;

Fig. 5 is a View of the knife arm alone, viewed from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a face view of the carriage or support and actuating gear that impart the desired move; ment of the paring head around the apple, the knife arm and its guard arm being in transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The general construction of the paring machine as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 (other than the par ing head itself) constitutes no part of the present invention. The parts (other than the paring head) shown in these Figs. 1 and 6 are con; venticnal parts well known in the art, and are here illustrated in a fragmentary way only for the purpose of explaining the environment and general actuation of the paring head of the present invention. These conventional parts will therefore be described first, and only briefly.

The paring machine, mounted on an outer 5 frame It], carries an inner mounting frame 1? upon which the moving parts are supported, in;

cl udinga main shaft l4, acam wheel l6 driven thereby, and gearing [8 that rotates the vertical fork spindle 2i! terminating at its lower end in a fork (dotted lines) 22 upon which the apples A or similar fruits or work pieces are impaled by a feeding cup 24. In succession and" in proper timed relation the knife or cutting head 26 rises and pares the fruit, after the cup 24 has swung out of the way; the carer 28 moves up and cuts out the core and brings the fruit down to the forked doffer 3E and finally the paring knife returns to its lower full line position Someof the other details of construction of a machine of this kind are disclosed, for example, in United States Patent 1,615,914, granted February '1, l'927,on the application of J. W. Pease. These just described cycles of movement in,- volve a vertically reciprocating carriageframetz raised by a pin 34 on cam wheel 16 engaging a cam 36 on the frame, which latter is counter; balanced by a spring 38 and guided on frame 12. Secured to frame 32 is a bracket 4!] (Figs. 2 and 4) terminating in yoke arms 42 which constitutes the immediate support and carriage upon which the cutting head 26 is mounted. A sleeve 44 secured in the yoke arms by set screws 46 forms a bearing for a rock shaft 48 Fixed to what may be termed the rear projecting end of this shaft by a set screw 50 is a yoke 52the arms 9;

o a which enclose a convex fulcrum bearing or fulcrum seat 56 and a relatively restricted slot or opening 58 leading from the fulcrum seat. Fixed to the other or forward projecting end of said shaft 48 through the medium of a collar 60 and set screw 62 is a guide yoke 64.

A knife arm 66 of the conformation shown, through a threaded outer end 68 and lock nut I0, carries the cutting head 28, earlier mentioned, which, in turn, has afi'ixed thereto by adjusting screws '52 the slotted, inclined knife M, much as usual. The peelings P from the knife in action pass through a throat iii closed at only one side. Acting in conjunction with the knife .is a guard l8 further defining the throat l3 and regarding which there will be further description.

The rear end of knife arm 36 has a fiat bearing portion 80 resting against the convex fulcrum seat 56 in the yoke arms 58, and beyond the latter the terminal of the arm has fixed thereto an arm d2. A contracting coil spring 84 engaged with this arm and reacting against an extension 35 the end of guide yoke 6e actuates the knife arm to press the knife it: into paring engagement with the apple or other work piece A on fork 2'2. The limit of this movement of the arm and knife is de fined by the inner end of the guide yoke 6 5.

An extension of guide yoke 6% beyond rock shaft 44 carries two lugs 88 (Figs. 2 and 8) in triangular relationship to an intermediate roller 96. Lugs 88 are adapted to travel, with the motion of carriage frame 32, upon a track 92 (Fig. 6) on an extension of fixed frame l2 while roller 93 travels similarly on a track 94 on the same element. When the carriage frame 32 is in its lowermost position, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 6, the arm 66 and knife are in the inoperative full line position of those figures. As the carriage rises, a lug 88 strikes a cam face 95 on track Q2 and revolves the knife arm unit on the rock shaft 48. In the meantime the knife meets the bud end of the apple A and starts paring. The cam action causes it to swing in an orbit following the contour of the apple or other work piece. The roller 90 rides into a depressed cam 38 in the track 94 for such motion as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, at which point the knife is in the dotted line position of Fig. l midway of the apple and of its own travel. The rest of the semi circular orbit is traversed as the roller 96 rides out of the depression 98 and the other lug 88 rides down a cam surface I60 on the track 92 and rides along the latter as shown in the upper dotted line position in Fig. 6.

Returning to the cutting head 26 and the knife arm 66, the guard 18 which rides on the apple or work piece in spaced relation to the edge of knife 14 and which determines the depth of cut of the knife, is carried by and clamped between a short arm I02 on a yoke I04 and a spring clip [:36 held by a screw I08 threaded into this yoke i6 3. The latter is pivoted to the head 25 at I Iii to rock in a limited fashion thereon. A long arm I !2 integral with the short arm I82 extends rightwardly from the yoke I94 when viewed as in Fig. 2, and passes under knife arm 65 within guide yoke G l. Near its right end, the arm I I2 is provided with a corn tact finger H4 adjustably held on the arm by a screw H6 threaded into the arm through a slot in the contact finger. This contact finger bears on the member 44.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the guard 18 may rock on the yoke pivot IN] toward and from the knife edge. The resulting function is as follows:

The spring 8% constantly tends to swing the paring knife 74 in a direction toward. the center of the apple A, the limit of such swinging motion being determined by contact of the guard '58 with the surface of the apple. This bodily swinging movement toward the center of the apple occurs about the fulcrum part 56 and 88 as a center. On a relatively small apple, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2, the parts can swing until the rod or bar 66 of the apple paring head iies relatively close to the member M, and this member 44, acting on the contact finger lid of the arm H2, will swing the guard member it on the pivot Hi) to a position relatively close to the cutting edge of the knife M, thus producing a relatively thin cut or peel, as indicated in Fig. 2.

On the other hand, when the cutting head is operating against a larger apple, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4, then the cutting head is unable to swing so close to the center of the apple, and the size of the apple will keep the rod 66 from swinging so close to the member 44. The greater space between the rod 353 and the member 44 allows the lever arm I I2 to swing farther away from the rod 66, as seen from a comparison of Fig. 4 with Fig. 2, and the swinging of the lever arm I I2 away from the rod 65 results in swinging the guard member E8 in a clockwise direction about its pivot I I9, which moves the effective or lefthand edge of the guard member 78 farther out to a position farther behind the cutting edge of the knife I4, thus producing a thicker cut or peel, as indicated in Fig. 4 when compared with Fig. 2. In this way, the thickness of the peel or cut taken by the paring head is a direct function of the diameter of the apple or other work piece being operated upon, a thicker peel being taken from a work piece of larger diameter and a thinner peel being taken from a work piece of smaller diameter.

The degree to which the thickness of cut will be varied by a given variation in diameter of the work, may be adjusted to some extent by loosening the screw IIS and moving the contact finger H4 rightwardly or leftwardly along the arm I i2. The maximum thickness of the cut in any event, regardless of any excessive diameter of the apple, may be limited by a set screw I is threaded through a lug I26 on the head member 26, which screw H8 has an end which limits the clockwise motion of the arm I52 about its pivot 2 I0.

In paring apples of all sizes as they normally come to the apple factory, the guard is is constantly, on successive operations, moving toward and from the knife edge, so that the possibility of clogs occurring is remote.

The inner end of the guide slot in the yoke 65 furnishes an ultimate stop for both the guard arm and the knife arm, the latter through the medium of the former.

To remove the knife arm with facility as well as to assemble it easily and quickly, a reduced portion I22 is formed thereon adjacent to the fulcrum bearing portion 813. By thrusting this reduced portion rearwardly and outwardly it is passed laterally through the restricted opening 58 in the bearing yoke and thence is passed through a corresponding slot $24 in the guide yoke 64. A reversal of these movements of course assembles the parts. The tension spring 84, obviously, is first moved;

This automatic variation of the thickness of peel in accordance. with the varying diameters of successive apples, is found in actual practice to result in a considerable saving of usable pulp.

In an apple paring machine of the kind shown, for example, inFigs'. l and 6, the apple spindle 20 revolves a definite number of revolutions during each cycle of swinging of the paring head through a half revolution or 180 from the posi tion shown in full lines at the bottom of Fig. 6 to the position shown in dotted lines at the top of Fig. 6. But on an apple of larger diameter, the width of the cut made by the cuttingknife dur-' ing one revolution of the spindle should be greater than the width of the cut on a smaller diameter apple, because the circumferential distance (or rather the semi-circumference of the apple) to be covered by the successive cuts during successive revolutions of the spindle is greater on a larger diameter apple than on a smallerdiameter apple. In order to make the cutting knife cut a wider cut, it is necessary to take a deeper cut in the apple. Yet if'this same depth of cut is taken on an apple of smaller diameter, the cut made during one revolution of the apple spindle 20 overlaps the cut made during the previous revolution of the spindle to an unnecessarily great extent, thus wasting the pulp of the apple.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above-mentioned objects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by Way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cutting head mechanism for paring machines, the combination with a carriage support and a spring actuated knife arm fulcrumed thereon to swing toward and from the work and carrying a knife holder and knife, of a guard pivoted on the holder in changing relationship to the knife edge, said guard being so mounted for movement relative to said edge as to recede from said edge for a deeper cut in response to pressure of contact with the work, and an extension on the guard reacting against the support at a location spaced from the fulcrum connection between said support and said knife arm to limit such recession more or less according to an advanced or retracted position of the knife arm and knife.

2. In a cutting head mechanism for paring machines, the combination with a support and a spring actuated knife arm fulcrumed thereon to swing toward and from the work and carrying a knife holder and a knife, of a guard pivoted on the holder for movement relative to the knife edge in a general direction toward and away from the center of the work being pared, said guard having a tendency to recede from such edge for a deeper cut in response to pressure of contact with the work, and means actuated by the knife arm for advancing the knife edge for a shallow cut as the knife arm moves a predetermined dis- 7 tance in the direction of the work, said means including a guard actuating arm operatively connected to said guard to oscillate said guard relative to said holder and extending in a general direction from said guard toward the fulcrum of said knife arm on said support and engaging said support at a point spaced from said fulcrum so that said guard actuating arm will be moved relative to said knife arm when said knife arm swings relative to said support on its fulcrum.

3. In a cutting head mechanism for paring machines, the combination with a support and a spring actuated knife arm fulcrumed thereon 6 i to swing toward and from the work and carry ing a knife holder and a knife, of a guard idly pivoted to the holder in changing relationship to the knife edge, said guard having a tendency to recedefrom such edge for a deeper cut in response to contact with the work,an arm ex tending from the guard and slidably reacting against the support for limiting such recession of the guard and also actuated by theknife arm to advance the guard toward the knife edge for a shallow cut as the knife arm moves a predetermined distance in the direction of the work, and a stop engaged by the knife arm through the medium of the guard armfor halting the last mentioned movement of both of said arms.

4. In a cutting head mechanism for paring machines, the combination with a carriage and a spring actuated knife arm fulcrumed thereon to swing toward and from the work and pivoted on the carriage to swing bodily laterally to follow the contour of the work, said arm carrying a knife holder and a knife, of a guard idly' pivoted to the holder in changing relationship to the knife edge, said guard having a tendency to recede from such edge for a deeper out in response, to contact with the work, and being provided with an arm having a sliding contact with the carriage at a point remote from the fulcrum of the knife arm to limit such recession of the guard and also actuated by the knife arm to advance the guard toward the knife edge for a shallow cut as the knife arm moves a predetermined distance in the direction of the Work, and a stop against which the knife arm tends to move the guard arm to limit the lighter cutting self adjustment of the guard and to arrest both arms when the knife is not in work.

5. In a cutting head mechanism ,for paring machines, the combination with a carriage embodying a yoke and a sleeve connecting the arms thereof, a shaft turning in the sleeve, a guide yoke fixed to one end of the shaft, and a seat member fixed to the other end, of a spring actuated knife arm fulcrumed on the seat member to swing within the guide yoke toward and from the work and to swing bodily laterally on the shaft to follow the contour of the work, said arm carrying a knife holder and a knife, and a guard idly pivoted on the holder in changing relationship to the knife edge, said guard having a tendency to recede from such edge for a deeper cut in response to contact with the work, and being provided with an arm also swinging Within the guide yoke and having a sliding contact with the carriage yoke sleeve to limit such recession, the guide yoke also providing a stop against which the knife arm tends to move the guard arm to limit the lighter cutting self adjustment of the guard and to arrest both arms when the knife is not in work.

6. In a cutting head for paring machines, the combination of a support having a stop and a spring actuated knife arm fulcrumed on the sup port to swing toward and from its work and the stop and carrying a knife holder and a knife, and a guard element idlypivoted on the holder in changing relationship to the knife edge and independently reacting against the support, said guard element tending to recede from the knife edge in response to pressure of contact with the work piece to allow said knife to produce a deeper i cut, and means operated by relative movement between said knife arm and said support for causing said guard element to advance toward the knife edge for a shallower cut.

'7. A paring machine adapted to pare generally globular articles of different sizes and including a support, a knife arm, a knife blade carried by said knife arm, said knife arm being fulcrumed at one point on said support to swing in a direction to carry said knife blade in a general direction toward and away from the center of a globular article to be pared, and aspring tending to swing said knife arm to carry saidknife blade toward said globular article, characterized by a knife guard pivotally mounted on said knife arm and having a guard portion lying adjacent said knife blade to contact with the article being pared and to control the depth to which said knife blade may penetrate said article, said knife guard also having an operating portion movable relative to said knife arm in response to movement of said knife arm relative to said support, thereby to move said guard portion relative to said knife blade to vary the depth of cut made by said knife blade in said article being pared, said operating portion of said knife guard bearing against said support at a second point spaced from the point at which said knife arm is fulcrumed and being operated by relative movement between said second point and said knife arm.

8. A construction in accordance with claim '7, in which said second point is between said knife blade and said point at which said knife arm is fulcrumed, and in which the pivotal mounting of said knife guard on said knife arm is between said second point and said guard portion of said knife guard.

9. A paring machine adapted to pare generally globular articles of different sizes and including a support, a knife arm, a knife blade carried by said knife arm, said knife arm being fulcrumed at one point on said support to swing in a direction to carry said knife blade in a general direction toward and away from the center of a globular article to be pared, and a spring tending to swing said knife arm to carry said knife blade toward said globular article, characterized by guard means cooperating with said knife blade to control the depth of paring cut made by said blade, and means controlled by swinging movement of said knife armon its fulcrum on said support for automatically shifting said guard means relative to said knife arm and blade in accordance with varying sizes of respective articles being pared to cut a thicker peel from an article of larger size and a thinner peel from an article of smaller size.

RONALD A. GANZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 11,798 Boutell Jan. 2, 1900 243,035 Geer June 14, 1881 633,932 Williamson Sept. 26, 1899 943,249 Jahansan Dec. 14, 1909 984,843 Pease Feb. 21, 1911 1,445,145 Kohler Feb. 13, 1923 1,615,914 Pease Feb. 1, 1927 2,178,889 Gabrieau Nov. 7, 1939 2,410,683 Marquez Nov. 5, 1946 

